The efficacy of flumazenil was tested in a double-blind placebo controlled study of 40 patients undergoing dental procedures. Flumazenil recipients were less sedated at 5 and 30 min post-operatively (P less than 0.001), were better oriented at 5 min (P less than 0.001) and 30 min (P less than 0.01) and were more co-operative at 5 min (P less than 0.001) and 30 min (P less than 0.005). None of the patients in either the placebo or flumazenil groups could remember operative events. The dental surgeon felt that flumazenil made recovery in the supine position unnecessary and made post-operative monitoring easier. Flumazenil is a drug that should be included in the armamentarium of any emergency drug kit when benzodiazepines are used i.v.